French Thriller “Sleepless Night” Finds U.S. Home at Tribeca Film

French Thriller “Sleepless Night” Finds U.S. Home at Tribeca Film

Tribeca Film has acquired U.S. rights to Frédéric Jardin’s acclaimed French thriller “Sleepless Night,” which had its world premiere in the Midnight Madness section of the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. The company plans to release it theatrically and on VOD in 2012. Warner Bros. is said to be remaking the pic.

Here’s the plot her Tribeca Film:

“Sleepless Night”tells the story of Vincent, a respected and dedicated police officer, or so it seems. After stealing a massive bag of cocaine from drug dealers that work for Marciano, a powerful mob boss/nightclub owner, Vincent quickly finds himself trapped in a situation that no parent would envy- his son has been kidnapped with the promise of being executed if he doesn’t immediately deliver the bag back to its rightful owner. As Vincent heads to the nightclub in the outskirts of Paris to trade the drugs for his son, he soon gets caught in an intense, claustrophobic cat-and-mouse game that quickly spirals into madness as the tables are constantly turned multiple times throughout the evening. The night to come might not only be the longest but also the last one of his life… and his young son’s as well.

There’s hardly a clean three-act structure here. Jardin avoids exposition, peppering the action with small details but jumping right into the conflict. The coke theft and subsequent kidnapping take place within minutes, and then “Sleepless Night” settles into a seedy nightclub where the majority of the action takes place. Using the nightclub as the movie’s only set is a geographical masterstroke, because every instance of running and fighting takes place with an amazing implementation of speed within close quarters. The action alternately takes place in a staircase, an elevator, a kitchen, and a very crowded dance floor.

Full release below:

TRIBECA FILM ACQUIRES US RIGHTS TO SLEEPLESS NIGHT

Pulse-Pounding French Thriller To Enthrall Audiences In 2012

“One of the best and tightest written action thrillers I’ve seen in the past few years … like Die Hard meets 24 by way of Taken, but never falling into many of the genre clichés set-up by those films.” – /Film (Rating: 8 out of 10)

New York, NY – November 4, 2011 – Tribeca Film announced today that it has acquired all US rights to Sleepless Night, a gripping action thriller which had its World Premiere in the Midnight Madness section of the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. The film, directed by Frédéric Jardin, will be released in 2012 on VOD and theatrically by Tribeca Film, which is supported by Founding Partner American Express and brings films to consumers across a range of platforms, including nationwide VOD, theatrical, DVD, pay-TV and digital. Warner Bros. recently announced it has acquired English-language remake rights.

Sleepless Night tells the story of Vincent, a respected and dedicated police officer, or so it seems. After stealing a massive bag of cocaine from drug dealers that work for Marciano, a powerful mob boss/nightclub owner, Vincent quickly finds himself trapped in a situation that no parent would envy- his son has been kidnapped with the promise of being executed if he doesn’t immediately deliver the bag back to its rightful owner. As Vincent heads to the nightclub in the outskirts of Paris to trade the drugs for his son, he soon gets caught in an intense, claustrophobic cat-and-mouse game that quickly spirals into madness as the tables are constantly turned multiple times throughout the evening. The night to come might not only be the longest but also the last one of his life… and his young son’s as well.

“I am thrilled and honored to work with Tribeca for the North American release of Sleepless Night,” Jardin said. “It’s a superb opportunity for my film.”

“Sleepless Night is a thriller that is executed with such style and panache that it transcends the limits of the genre. The pace is exhilarating and the action is nonstop in this ingeniously plotted and thoroughly entertaining adventure,” said Geoffrey Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises. “We’re delighted to be collaborating with the filmmakers to bring this film to wider audiences.”

The North American distribution deal was negotiated by Nick Savva for Tribeca Film, and Gilles Sousa and Mathieu Robinet on behalf of Bac Films, which is handling international sales. Bac Films will release the film in France. It has already closed deals for major territories, including UK (Icon), Germany (Tiberius), Canada (E1), Russia (Luxor), Brazil (California), China (Domo Media) and Benelux (U-Media). Further sales will be announced during the ongoing American Film Market.